Ironing board



March 15, 1932. L O EAQ 1,849,750

IRONING BOARD Filed March 5. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M du'fifiamLmcLem MW r 35 I I o Qua/Ma a.

v March 15, 1932.

Filed Mafch 5. 1951 c." MOLEAN 1,849,750

IRONI NG BOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 15, 1932 PATENT OFFICE CLIFFORD L. MCLEAN, OF GOSHIN, INDIANA IRONING BOARD Application filed March 5, 1931 Serial No. 520,379.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is an ironing board. One object of the invention is to provide novel means for holding the legs of the device rigid when it is set up for use. Another object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby the legs and cooperating parts may be folded fiat against the top member of the ironing board, so that the article may be stowed in small compass when the occasion for its use has passed, 7

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the in- 1 vention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combina tion and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of themvention herein disclosed, may be made w1th in the scope of what is claimed, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention,

and erected for use;

Figure 2 is a transverse section wherein the foldable rule joint brace appears in elevation;

Figure 3 is a sectional view wherein the j aforesaid brace appears in plan;

Figure 4 is abottom plan of the complete device, as it will appear when in use;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan of the complete device, disclosing the legs and associated parts as they will appear when folded aginst the top.

In order to define the relative location of parts, and the directions in which some of them fold, that end of the ironing board I which is marked by the letter R will be considered the rear end, the front end being designated by the letter F.

The device forming the subject matter of this application comprises a top member 1.v

'5: A cross bar 2 is secured to the under side of the top 1 and is located near to the rear end of the top. Pivot elements 3 are carried by the ends of the cross bar 2. The upper ends of first legs 4 are mounted to swing on the pivot elements 3. The first legs 4 are mounted loosely enough on the pivot elements 3 so that the legs may have acompound movement in two directions. One of these directions is longitudinally of the top 1, as designated by the arrows A in Figure 4. The other of these directions is transversely of the top 1, as indicated by the arrows C in Figure 4;

Crossed braces 5 are provided. At their upper ends, the braces 5 are pivoted on 6 to the legs 4. Headed studs 7 are mounted in the legs 4. At their lower ends the braces 5 have guide slots 8, whereby the braces are slidably mounted on the guide studs 7 of the legs 4. Figure 4 shows that, when the table is erected, the legs 4 diverge, the studs 7 being at the lower ends of the slots 8 in. the braces 5. The braces 5, therefore, aid in preventing the legs 4 from sprawling apart, transversely of the top 1, beyond the position of Figure 4. The legs 4 do not tend to move inwardly, from the position of Figure 4, owing to the provision of the foldable rule joint brace B which will be described hereinafter.

A second leg 9 is provided. The legs 4 and 9 diverge, as shown in Figure 1, when the ironing board is set up .for use. The upper end of the second leg 9 is pivoted at 10 to brackets 11 mounted on the under side of the top 1. The leg 9 has a bevelled upper end 12 that bears against the lower surface of the top 1, as shown in Figure 1.

Ties 14 in the form of light but strong metal bars are provided. l/Vhen the table is in use, the ties 14 converge as they extend forwardly, as shown in Figure 4. The ties 14 slant upwardly and rearwardly, as Figure 1 will disclose. The lower, forward ends of the ties 14 are pivoted at 15 to opposite sides of the second leg 9, near to the lower end of the second leg. The upper, rear ends of the ties 14 are pivoted at 16 to the upper portions of the first legs 4.

The article comprises foldable props, P, each of which is a composite structure. The

props P, as shown in Figure 1, slant downwardly and rearwardly from the top 1 to the legs 4.

Each foldable prop P embodies main members 18 in the form of bars. The bars 18 of the foldable prop are connected by pivot elements 19 to a bracket 20 secured to the under side of the top 1. The upper, forward ends of the bars 18 of the prop are so mounted on the pivot elements 19 that the said bars can have a compound movement in two directions. One of these directions is toward and away from the top 1, and is indicated by the arrows D in Figure 1. The other of these directions is toward and away from parallelism, between the position of Figure 4 and the position of Figure 5, as shown by the arrows E in Figure 4. In general, this two-fold movement at the pivot joints between parts may be resorted to wherever necessary to carry out the operations hereinafter described.

Each foldable prop P embodies auxiliary members 21, in the form of bars, which are considerably shorter than the main members 18 of the props. The bars 21 of the foldable props P are pivoted at 22 to the intermediate portions of the bars 18, those portions of the bars 18 which lie to the rear of the pivot elements 22 in Figure 4 being designated by the numeral 23. Sockets 24 are secured on the rear ends of the auxiliary bars 21 of the props P. The sockets 24, and therefore the bars 21, are pivoted at 25 to the first legs 4, below the pivot elements 16 which carry the upper, rear ends of the ties 14.

The device comprises a foldable, transverse rule-joint brace B. The brace B is detailed in Figures 2 and 3, and is shown plainly in Figures 4 and 5. It consists of two rigid members 27, having their inners ends connected by a pivot element 28. The inner ends of the members 27 of the brace B extend into a stop 29, which is trough-shaped in cross section. The pivot element 28 is mounted at its ends in the stop 29. The part 29 is denominated a stop, because when the foldable brace B is extended from the position of Figure 5 to the position of Figures 4 and 3, the said part 29 limits the movement of the members 27 of the brace, after the brace has straightened out, rearwardly, a little beyond a straight line, as shown in Figure 3. At the outer ends of the members 27 of the foldable brace B there are forks 30 which straddle the ends 23 of the bars 18 of the foldable prop P. The forks 30 are pivoted at 31 to the bars 18 of the prop P. One arm of each fork 30 is slightly shorter than the other arm of the fork, as Figure 3 will show, and the shorter arm is cut away at an angle, as disclosed at 32, for a purpose which will be explained hereinafter.

lVhen the device is in use, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the positions of the parts are as follows:

The first legs 4 converge as they extend downwardly, to afford stability at one end of the ironing board. The legs 4 are prevented from spreadin further apart by the crossed braces 5 and by the rule-joint brace B. The second leg 9 and the legs 4 are dis posed in downwardly diverging relation, as shown in Figure 1. The props P and the ties 14 are arranged in crossed relation, as shown in Figure 1. The foldable rule-joint brace B is straightened out, a little past a straight line, as shown in Figure 3, to prevent the brace from knuckling back into the folded position of Figure 5, the members 27 of the brace engaging the stop 29. The ends 23 of the main members 18 of the foldable props P overlap the auxiliary members 21 of the props, as shown in Figure 4, and the auxiliary members 21 of the props are received in the forks 30 of the foldable brace B (Figures 2 and 4). Because the members 21 are received in the forks 30, as aforesaid, the props P cannot fold upwardly or downwardly on the pivot elements 22.

Assuming that the ironing board is in the condition shown in Figures 1 and 4, and that it is desired to dispose the structure in the inoperative condition of Figure 5, the operator folds the brace B forwardly, from the position of Figures 2, 3 and 4, on the pivot element 28, into the position of Figure 5. The first legs 4 swing toward each other, and inwardly, on the pivot elements 3 and, at the same time, they swing against the top 1. As the legs 4 swing toward the top 1, they slide along the inner edges of the forwardly converging ties 14, and in this way, they are guided into the converging relation displayed in Figure 5. The parts 21 and 18 of the foldable props P swing on the pivot elements 22, until the parts 21 are turned end for end, as seen in Figure 5. During the folding of the brace B to the position of Figure 5, the edges 32 (Figure 3) of the forks 30 move into parallelism with the outer edges of the main members 18 of the props P, and this permits the auxiliary members 21 of the props P to swing clear of the forks 30, when the members 21 turn end for end, from the position of Figure 4, to the position of Figure 5. During the folding of the legs 4 to the position of Figure 5, the braces 5 swing on their pivots 6, and the studs 7 on the legs 4 move toward the inner ends of the slots 8 in the braces 5.

During the folding operation, as the legs 4 move into parallelism with the top 1, the ties 14 swing the leg 9 forwardly into parallelism with the top.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is characterized by rigidity when in operative position, by ease in folding, and by compactness when folded.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an ironing board comprising a top, downwardly diverging legs pivoted to the top for swinging movement toward the top, and

inward toward each other, props pivoted to the top and to the legs for swinging movement inwardly toward each other, each prop comprising main and auxiliary members which are pivotally joined together for folding movement toward the top, and a transverse rule-joint brace pivoted intermediate its ends to the main members and engaged at its outer ends with the auxiliary members, to hold the props against folding, the brace being foldable to disengage its ends from the auxiliary members, thereby permitting the props to fold and swing inwardly toward each other and toward the top, and to permit the legs to swing inwardly toward each other and toward the top.

2. In an ironing board constructed as set forth in claim 1, crossed braces each pivoted at one end to one of the legs, and means for connecting each of the crossed braces at its opposite end to the other leg for limited sliding movement.

3. An ironing board constructed as set forth in claim 1, in combination with a second leg pivoted to the top, and ties pivoted to the second leg and to the first-specified legs, the ties converging from the first-specified legs toward the second leg, and the first-specified legs sliding along the inner surfaces of the ties when the first-specified legs are folded toward the top, thereby to direct them inwardly toward each other.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

CLIFFORD L. McLEAN. 

